Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-Iranian/káwHiš

This Proto-Indo-Iranian entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Indo-Iranian

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *(s)kówh₁is, from *(s)kewh₁- (“to perceive, observe”) +‎ *-is (deverbal noun suffix).

Noun

*káwHiš m

seer, poet
institutor of religious rites

Declension

masculine i-stem
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*káwHiš	*káwHiH	*káwHayas
vocative	*káwHay	*káwHiH	*káwHayas
accusative	*káwHim	*káwHiH	*káwHīn, -īš
instrumental	*káwHiH	*káwHibʰyām	*káwHibʰiš
ablative	*káwHayš	*káwHibʰyām	*káwHibʰyas
dative	*káwHayay	*káwHibʰyām	*káwHibʰyas
genitive	*káwHayš	*káwHyawš	*káwHayām?
locative	*káwHā(w)?	*káwHyawš	*káwHišu

Descendants

Proto-Indo-Aryan: *kawHíṣ
- Sanskrit: कवि (kaví, “poet, teacher of the Vedas”)
  - Maharastri Prakrit: 𑀓𑀇 (kaï)
  - Pali: kavi
Proto-Iranian: *káwHiš
- Avestan: 𐬐𐬀𐬎𐬎𐬌‎ (kauui, “poet, bard”)
  - → Middle Persian: [script needed] (kd /kay/, “title of the dynasty of Wištāsp, Kayanian”)
    - Persian: کی‎ (kay)
- Parthian: 𐫞𐫀𐫇‎ (qʾw /kaw/, “prince, lord; giant”)
- Middle Persian: 𐫞𐫀𐫇‎ (qʾw /kaw/, “prince, lord; giant”)
- Sogdian: [script needed] (qwy, “giant”)
- Khotanese: [script needed] (kai, “heroic; ārya-monk”)
- → Old Armenian: սկայ (skay, “giant”)

Adjective

*káwHiš

insightful, wise

References

Prods Oktor Skjærvø (2013), “KAYĀNIĀN i. Kavi: Avestan kauui, Pahlavi kay”, in Encyclopædia Iranica, online edition‎, New York
Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985), “kaví”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press
Szemerényi, Oswald (1970), “Iranica III (Nos. 32-43)”, in Mary Boyce, Ilya Gershevitch, editors, W.B. Henning memorial volume, London: Lund Humphries, page 426